101. Set Up Your Home for a New Baby in 5 Steps

Becoming a parent is undoubtedly one of the biggest adjustments you will make in your life. Not only will the routines of your day to day change drastically, but the routines within your home and spaces will too. With a new baby comes stuff, a LOT, of stuff. It is good to have a plan in place before the baby’s arrival so you can eliminate the stress of “what do I do with all of this?!” 

Here are five simple steps you can take to set up your home for new parent success!

RESET YOUR CURRENT INVENTORY

Your home and its contents become far less overwhelming when you know what you have. Set aside time to assess your items throughout the home to see if anything can be tossed, donated or stored away. This task also allows you to understand what you are missing that you need for this next chapter of life.

PREP, PREP, PREP

You will want to soak in all of the beautiful baby cuddles and bonding time you can after birth and there are simple things you can do to be more prepared on the home front. 

• • • Wash and put away newborn clothes
    • Create diaper caddies throughout the home
    • Setup a feeding station with essentials like burp cloths, snacks, pump, reading material, etc. 
    • Create a feminine care station in the bathroom for postpartum needs
    • Freeze make-ahead meals 
    • Lean on your village of people and don’t be afraid to ask for help with older kids, housekeeping, meals, etc.
    • Game plan with your spouse/partner to be on same page when it comes to expectations, emotional support and division of labor

KEEP YOUR SPACES CURRENT

This is a very important tip. It can be overwhelming when you have a variety of sizes of clothing or toys for different developmental stages and are trying to set them up in your spaces. You only need visible and accessible items that you and your baby need currently. This allows your spaces to not become overpacked and unmanageable. The more you can see, the more you will use and the better you will maintain your space. Items for future use can be stored away.

SAFETY FIRST

While a lot of baby-proofing tasks can be put off for when your baby is running and climbing around, there are small things you should do even before the infant stage. Babies, even as infants, want to touch, taste and feel everything around them. You will want to assess what they could come in contact with and remove any potentially harmful items. This is a good time to swap out harsh cleaning products for natural ones.

NURSERY ORGANIZATION

The nursery is one of the only spaces that you anticipate what your routines will be and rather than organizing based off of the way you already use the room. This space will inevitably evolve as you settle into your new normal but we want it to be streamlined and routine-ready. In the middle of the night when there is a blowout diaper and a hungry baby, knowing what you need and where to find it is crucial. 

1. 1. • File-fold onesies and clothing in drawers for easy visibility
      • Designate top dresser drawer for all diaper changing needs
      • Label the inside of drawers to hold you accountable when putting items away and to make for easier finding
      • Add some baby hangers for items you will want hung
      • Bin and label any clothing your baby needs to grow into
      • Create a “too-small” bin for any clothing your child grows out of–when the bin is full, that is your cue to donate, store or give to a friend.

The little things really do add up and will bring a big sigh of relief once you have tackled these to-dos before your baby’s arrival. There is so much that will be out of your control during baby’s first years—take the reins on what you can control—your home. 

Check out Dr. Berlin’s new streaming channel dedicated to all things pregnancy and parenting!

Ría Safford is a Cuban-American mom of three. She is the founder and CEO of RíOrganize, a company offering full-service luxury organization and relocation to families across the United States. Ría has organized spaces for A-list clients and for everyday families who are desperate for more streamlined systems in their homes. Ria’s own organization journey began when she became a new mom and felt overwhelmed by all the mess accumulating in her house. She set out to calm the chaos and help families everywhere reduce stress and create routine-ready spaces that make managing life with little ones easier. Ría has partnered with iDesign to create a collection of organization products sold on Amazon. Ría has 322K+ fans following her on Instagram for organization inspiration and advice. She also just wrote her first book, The Organized Home for New Parents.